Feeding and separating apparatus for printing-machines.



, M. H. MANN. FEEDING AND SBPARATING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES. APPLIOA TIOB rum) mnnzz, 190B.

91 0,557. Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wmggsws L: inventor G3 I Miles H.Mdnp h Atbvs.

M. H. MANN. FEEDING AND snmnnma APPARATUS FOR PRINTING monmzs. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 190B. 91 0,557.

Inventor: Miles H'Mann bY 7W mm Apt'Ys.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

M. H. mm. FEEDING AHDSEFLBATIHQ APPARATUS FOR PRINTING IAUHIHES. IPPLIQATIOI FILED JUIB 22, "08.

910,557. Patanted Jan. 20, 1909.

5 Inventor Witfiessas agm e ufi 38 Miles H Mann M. H. MANN. V I FEEDING AND SEPARATING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MAUKINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 190B.

91 0,557. Patented Jan. 26, 190

Witnesses Inventor;

Ogmw Miles HManfl (W m Ami UNITED sTArns PATENT OFFICE.

MILESH. MANN, OF LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK W. BUFFUM, TRUSTEE, OF-

LOUISIANA, MISSOURI.

FEEDING AND SEPARATING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 22, 1908.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Serial No. 439,783.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MrLEs H. MANN, a citizlen of the United States, residing at Louisiana, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feeding and Separating Ap aratus i'or Printing-Machines, of which the ollowing is a full, clear, and

- exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved feeding apparatus for printing machines; Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 1----1 of Fig. 1 Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view 3 Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5%3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is a detail view 01" the spring Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the carriage which carries the feeding fingers: Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical se tional view taken on the line 6"6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the pressing device that acts upon the ile of card blanks; and Fig. 8 is a horizonta sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in feeding and separating apparatus for printing machines.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a. feeding apparatus of the character described that can he quickly adjustod to accommodate card blanks of different dimensions and which is so constructed that a perfect adjustment can be obtained.

Other desirable features of my improved apparatus will be liereinal'tcr pointed out.

llt-d'erriug to th drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, indicates the bed plate ol the marhine which is mounted on a base 2. platen 52 is mounted in a reress in the bed plate, said platen being in alinemt-nt with a reciprocating type carrier 55, as shown in Fig". The platen 52 is covered it h paper or other suitable material which is held in position by means of the usual clamping yokrs 20, the front edge of said platen being provided with a. flange .32 (see Fig. 2) which serves as a stop for the yoke 20, prevents it from projecting above the platen, and increases the area of the fare of said platen.

The card blanks B that are to be printed are arranged between front and rear guides 14 and 15, res ectively, and two side guides mounted on the bed plate, the side. guides being in the form of wings 16 which engage the side edges of the care blanks. The card blanks B are clamped together by a pressing device 18, shown in Fi 2.

The mechanism for iiaeding the card blanks into operative position under the type box consists of a pair of fingers 21, projecting upward 1y through elongated slots 22 in the bed plate and carried by a sliding carriage 23 which is reciprocatingly mounted in stationary guidcways. The upper ends of fingers 21 are each provided with a shoulder 21 which extends slightly above the top surface of the bed plate so as to remove the bottom card blank from the pile as the carriage 23 moves toward the rear of the machine. ,Reciprocating movement is imparted to vthe carriage 23 by means of an actuating link 24 having its lower end secured to an arm 26 on a rock shaft 27, said rock shaft beingpro- 'vided with a hollow arm or guideway 28 that receives a rod 29 which is pivotally connected to the carriage 23. The rod 29 is loosely mounted in the hollow arm or guideway 28, and a coiled ex ansion spring 30 is interposed between tlie lower end of said guideway and the head of a screw 31 adjustably mounted in the lower end of rod 29. An actuating mechanism of this construction moves the carriage 23 positively in both directions and overcomes the tendency of rod 29 to bind in the hollow arm 28 while said arm is moving in a rotary path.

For enabling the feeding fingers 21 to be adjusted longitudinally of the carriage 23 so as to vary the distance which the card blanks are fed rearwardly I have formed said fingers on a spring plate 32 that is connected .at one end by bevel-hcaded screws 33 to a block 34 which is adjnstably mounted in the carriage 23. The block 34 is moved longitudinally of the carriage by means of an adjusting screw 35 journaled in the carriage and passing through a screw-tln'eaded opening in a lug 36 on the under side of the block 34, and a set screw 37 is provided for locking the screw 35 so as to hold the fingers 21' in their adjusted position, (iltttltlfltiOIlS 66 are arranged on the bed plate adjacent one of the fingers 21 so that after the first card has been printed the operator can tell just how said fingers should be positioned on the carriage to cause sists of a vertical wing slidi the printing to be arranged properly on the cards. The feeding fingers can also be adjusted vertically to vary the distance which they project above the top surface of the bed late by means of screws 38 mounted in the lock 3% and hearing against the under side, of the spring plate 32 on which the iingers are mounted, said spring plate being provided with n slot 32 which separates the feeding lingers from each other and allows them to be raised or lowered independently. After the screws 38 have been adjusted they can be locked in position by means of set screws 38, the inner ends of which bear against a. small piece of soft metal 38* that engages the news 38.

The bevel-headed screws 33 which secure the spring plate 32 to block 34 pass through elongated s ots in the spring plate the upper ends of said slots being beveled, as shown in Fig. 6. If one of the screws 3?; is loosened slightly and the other screw 33 tightened, the spring plate and feeding lingers will be rocked in a horizontal plane on a. fulcrum formed by one of the pins 323 which project downwsrdly from the spring plate and engage block 3 1 as shown in Figs. 4 end 5. By adjusting the screws 35 properly the upper edges oi the feeding lingers can be arranged parallel to the rows of type in the type-carrier and thus insure that the printing on the card blanks will be parallel uith the longitudinal edges of said blanks.

The rear guide 15 is positively connertml to the bed plate but said guide is provided with an adjustable portion l3 which conngly mounted in a groove in the guide 15 and a. wide horizontiil plate which lies abovc the bed plate and prevents the curd blnnks l'roin buckling said plate 15 being spaced away from the top lure of the bed plate l a distance equal to the thickness of one of the card blanks so that only the bottom cnrd blank ol' the pile can be moved wider the guide 15 by the l'ecding 'iingcrs as they none rearwardly. 'l'he object in providing the guide 15 with an aidjustable portion is to cnnble the pace lJc. tween the guide l5 and the bed plate to be adjusted to arconimmlatc card blnnks ol' ditl'erent thicknc ses, the portion l5 bcing moved or adjusted rcrlically b) int-nus of it screw Bil journnlcd in a licnring on tlnrear side of guide 15 and entering a scrr\\'--ll||c.-ul-

ed opening in the urovnblo 1portion 15 of said gnidc. A spring Tl) ulnc l coiipcratcs with n toothed whccl TI on the screw Ifli, as .shou n in Fig. It, prevents the vibration of the machine from turning said screw but allows it to be lnrncd in cithcr direclion'by the operator. This sIH'llljI To is preferably provided with an clongntcd slot no through which the clamping scrcw 7H" for the spring passes, as shown in Figs. 3 and It, so that the spring can be adjusted to compensate for wear.

The front guide 14 is rovided with a slotted base 4U through which a set screw 41 passes so that said guide can be adjusted relatively to the rear guide 15. Each of the side guides 16 is carried by a plate 43 which is provided with a slotted arm 44 that receives a clamping screw 45 on the bed plate, thereby enabling the side guides tobe moved toward and away from each other to accommodate card blanks oi' diiicrent lengths. The plates 4-3 are provided with yielding guides for receiving the end portions ol' the card blanks as they are being fed into printing position, the yielding guide oireech plate consisting of a. metal strip 46 secured to the under side of the Pluto andprojectingbeyond the inner edge thereof and a. superimposed metal strip 47 carried by spring arms 48 that are connected at their outer ends by fastening devices it) to laternlly projecting arms on the plate 43, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1".

Ti indicates adjusting screws which enter threaded o n-nings in the plates .3 and pass looscly through holes in the spring nrms 4H, cncli of said screws being provided with a llnnge which lays under a spring arm 48, as shown in Fig. I. By adjusting the screws T1. the pressure on the card blanks can bc va- I'icd or this pressure can be entirely eliminntcd and the cards allowed to miss freely between the strips 4e and i7. no of the udvnntagcs ol' tlns construction is that the pressure on the cards can be reduced. when the machine is o )crating on vcr thin cards so that they wil puss between the strips 46 and i? w lilluti buckling. The front cud. of catch strip do is bent dtnrnwnrdly so that it will enter a transversely extending groove 50 in the to i l'acc cf tlubcd plate and prcvcnt the card blanks l'roin. catching or sticking us they start to enter the iclding guides. .il'lcr the cords have been printed they are p shcd Jcnrwnrdly by thc blank card that is bring moved onto the ilatcu and thereafter dellcclrd downwardly into a disclnirgc chute Hit by means of thc curved ends of the yield ing strips 17.

I prefer to provide the side guides H3 with don nuardly extending ribs which cuter li'un Wcrscly cxtcndingl slots 51 in the bed plulc so as lo prev-n1 thin mird blanks from slipping cndulsc under tlaogpldcs lo. :lo prcvcut lhc guide-s l'roni shilling or moving In any dircction othcr thou trunm'crscly ol' the bcd plate l have provided the bud platc w ith a kc) iii that tits in ii slot on the under sidc ol' the plate 13.

The pressing device which nets on the pile of card blanks to prcss them together, is so con liiiclcll that a large pile of card blanks can lu-arrzingcd between the foot-piece of said pi'cssing device and the bed pluteof the machine. ber of the pressin dew is itnuufi scam wardly onto the pi e of blanks by means of a s ring, and means is provided for changing ie tension of said spring so as to var the ressuce of the foot-piece on the pile of card lanks. This pressing device is illrstrated in Figs. 7 and 8, and referring to said figures it will be seen that the footpiece or clamping member 18 is connected to the lower end of a plunger 80 which is reciprocatingly mounted in a bearing 81 on a horizontally arranged shaft 82 sup iorted in standards 83 that project upwardl from the bed plate of the ma chine, said siaft being either stationary or rotatably n'ioonted. 'l he plunger 80 is provided with rack teeth 84 that mesh with a pinion 85 on a shaft 86 arranged at right angles to the .ilnnger. One end of this shaft 86 is journal ed in the bearing 81 on the horizontally arranged supporting shaft 82 and the other end of said shaft 86 is journaled in an adjustable cap 37 that closes on opening in the front face of the bearing $1 as shown in Fig. 8. 'lhis cap 87 and the opening in The foot-piece or clamping memthe bearing 8] form a horsing for a coiled clock s ring 88 which has one of its ends secure by a fastening device 8?) to the inion shaft 86, and its other e'i secured by a fastening device 0'.) to the inside face of a cireclar flange .01 on the adjustable cap 87. The spring 88 tends to rotate the pinion R5 in a direction to force the pi! nger 8O downwardly and this c '1' the foot piece 18 to clamp the die f card blanks, said s ring permitting the lrnger 80 to be mover r-pwardly when a pi e of card blanks is to be arranged i'nderneath the foot-piece.

For enabling the tension of the spring 88 to be varied I have constructed the cap 87 so that it can be rotated in the direction indicated by the arron in Fig. 7 to wind up said spring. The circi lar flange 91 on the cap fits snigly inside of the opening i'l the bearing SI and the outer face of said ca extends fli sh with the front face of said rearinst, as shown in Fig. 8. The cap is provided with n knurled lingecpieco 92 and is retained in position by means of a iair of screws 93 illflhlillil in screw-threadeil openings in. the bearing 8i, and having heads that lit in notches or reecsses .11 formed in the outer face of the cap H", said cap being provided with a IJ'Hlliti of s ts of sec-h recesses as shown in Fig. 7. To increase the. tension of the spring: the screws J3 ar looscned so as to withdraw the heads ihcreon from the rccrsses .H in the cap which said h ads enter and the cap is then rotated in the direction il'idicated by the arrow Z in Fig 7 so as to wind \'p the spring. The movement of the cap brings the other set of recesses 94 into alinernentwith the heads of said screws and the screws are then. tight ened so that the heads thereon will enter said recesses and thus leek the %p- 87 is For enabling the plun er 80 to be ocked in an elevated position w en the card'blanks are being laced on the bed plate, I have provided the caring 80 with a slidable device 95 arranged at right angles to the plunger 80 and adapted to be moved into engagement with the rack teeth on said plunger, said device 95 being held in position by means of a screw 96 that rojects into an elongated notch in the device 95, as shown in Fig. 7.

A clam in device of this construction permits a ig pile of card blanks to be arranged on the bed plate, it enables the ressure of the foot-piece on the pile of blanks to be varied, and it presents a neat and ornamental appearance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the character described, comprising a bed plate, a reciprocating carriage, means for actuating said carriage, -a plate mounted on the upper side of said carriage and provided with feeding fingers which project above the bed plate, said finger carrying plate having elongated openings through which screws pass, and beveledheaded screws extending through said openings for securing said plate to the carriage,

the top face of said plate being provided with beveled recesses that conform to the shape of the heads on said screws so as to cause said plate to move relatively to the carriage when the head on one of said screws engages the walls of its cooperating recess in the plate; substantially as described.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising a type-carrier, a plate for sup .ortlng card blanks, a plurality of feeding lingers which iroject above said supporting plate, means or actuating said feeding fin gcrs and thereby causing them to engage the card blanks and move said card blanks into alinemcnt with said type-carrier, and means for adjusting said feedlng fingers simultaneously so as to arrange their rejecting edges which engage the card blan s parallel with the rows of type in the. type-carrier; substantiull as described.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising a plate for supporting card blanks, a reciprocating carriage. a plate, one end of which is provided with feeding: fingers that project above said supporting plate, adjusting means for securing theopposite end of said plate to the carriage, saic means being so constructed that the plate can move laterally, and pins cooperating with the reciprocating carriage and constituting fulcrums for causing the finger-carrying plate to turn when said adjusting means is operated; substantially as described.

4. A machine of the character described, com rising a bed plate, plates mounted on said bcd plate, spring arms connected to said plates, members connected to said spring arms to form yielding guideways for card blanks as the r are being led. over the bed plate, and a justing screws threaded into said plates and passing freely through open ings in said spring arms, each of said screws having a flange that lies between the under side of the spring arm and the upper side of the plate with which it cooperates; substantiallyas described.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising a bed plate provided with clongated slots, a reciprocating (:lll'lufJO, means for moving said carriage a certain distance at each cycle of operations, a movable block mounted on said carriage, a spring plate connected to said block, feeding fingers on said plate that project upwardly through the elongated slots in the bed plate adjusting screws bearing against the underneath side of said plate for raising and lowering said lingers, means for moving said spring date relatively to said block to position saii Eingers in one direction, means for moving the block to which said spring plate is connected so as to change the position of said feeding lingers in a different direction, and graduations on the bed plate adjacent the slots through which the fingers project for enabling the lingers to be set properly in the position last referred to; substantially as described.

('3. A machine of the character described, provided with a bed plate, plates adjustablv mounted on said bed plate and provided with side guides which engage a pile of card blanks, downwardl projecting lugs on said guides which project into transverse slots formed in the top face of the bed plate, spring arms on said plates, and members connected to said s ring arms to form guideways for the card lanks as they are being fed over The bed plate; substantially as described 7. A machine of the character described, provided with a reciprocating feeding car-- riage provided with fingers, a rock shaft providcd with a hollow arm or guidcway, a ink or rod passing through said guidcway and connected at its upper end to said carriage, a head on the lower end of said rod, a spring interposed between the lower end of said guideway and the head on the end of said rod for drawing said rod down into s'aid guide, and means for actuating said rock shaft to reciprocate the feeding carriage; substantially as described.

8. A machine of the character dcscrila-d, provided with a support for holding a pile of card blanks, a plunger having teeth and protopmost blank of said pile, a toothed menu ber meshing with the teeth on said plun er, and a coiled spring connected to said toot ied member for imparting movement thereto so that it will force the plunger downwardly; substantially as described.

9. A machine of the character described, provided with a support for holdin r a pile of card blanks, a bearing arranged a )ove said support and provided with a housing, a plun er mounted in said bearing and provided with a loot-piece which en ages the topmost blank of the pile, rack teet 1 on said plunger, a pinion moshing with said rack teeth, and a coiled sprin Y arranged in the housing in said hearing or actuating said pinion so that it will force the plunger downwardly,- substantially as described.

In. A machine of the character described, provided with a support for holdin a pile of card blanks, a bearmg arranged a ove said support and provided with a housing, a. plunger mounted in said hearing and provided with a loot-piece which engages the topmost blank of the pile, rack teeth on the plunger, a pinion meshing with said rack teeth. a coiled spring arranged in the housing in said bearing for actuating said pinion so that it will force the plunger downwardly, and means for winding up said spring; substantially as described.

11. A machine of the character described, provided wit h a support for holding a pile of card blanks, a bearing arranged above said support and provided with a housing, a plunger mounted in said bearing and provided uilh a fool-piece which engages the topmost blank of the pile, rack teeth on the plunger, a pinion meshing with said rack teeth. a coiled spring arranged in the housing in said bearing and having one of its ends connected to said pinion, an adjustable cap that forms one side of the housing in said bearing, and means for connecting the other end of said spring to said cap; substantially as described.

12. A machine of the character described, comprising a support for holding a pile of card blanks, a bearing arranged above said support, a plunger mounted in said bearing and provided with a foot-piece which engages the lonnost blank ol' the pile, rack teeth on said plunger, a shaft journaled in said bearing and provided with a iiuion that meshes with the rack teeth on snh plunger, a coiled spring arranged in an opening in said bearing and having one of its ends connected lo the. pinion shaft, a cap provided with reccsscs and having a circular flange that rejects into the opening in the hearing in w iich the spring is arranged, means for connecting said spring to said flange, and fastening dcviccs carried by said bearing and provided vided with a oot-piccc which engages the l with heads which engage the recesses in the cap to leek said cap in position; substantially as drstrihe: l

13. A nnu-liine of the character described, provided with. a support for holding a pile of card blanks, a hearing arranged above said support, :i plunger mounted in said. hearing and provided with a foot-pieL-e for engaging the topmost blzmh of the pile, a coiled spring curried liy said support, a pinion adapted to be rotated by said spring and cooperating with rack teeth on the plunger for moving same (lUNVIIW'JX'IllIJ, and menus for lueliing said plunger in an elevated position; Hill)- stmitisilly described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto nllix my signature in the presence of [no \ritnenses, this 17th day of June inns.

M ll JCS ll. MAN N.

W itnesses:

LEWIS Flinn, PETER NEERUl. 

